09/28/2012 09:55 FAX 2024935142 FAA + OMS @001/009

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIOh

# ECEI 

# vED FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

# n WASHINGTON, DC 

### lull 

## 28 ,6. 

## II: 52 

## SEP 2 42012 ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, Complainant, V, TRANS STATES AIRLINES LLC, Respondent. 

## ) HEARING DOCKET ) ) ) ) ) ) 

### ) FAA Case No. 2010CE030093 

# ! ,c;20**I~-** ffi()

# 7

________. 

# ___________________ )

RESPONDENT'S ANSWER COMES NOW Respondent TRANS STATES AIRLINES LLC, by and through counsel, and hereby files its answer to the Complaint (attached as Respondent's Exhibit A) dated August 29, 2012 in connection with FAA Case No. 2010CE030093. Respondent states as follows: 'I. 1. Admit II. 1. (a) Admit (b) Admit 

### 2. Denied 

### 3. Denied 

### 4. (a} Denied 

### (b) Denied09/28/2012 09:55 FAX 2024935142 FAA + OMS

(c) Denied 

### 5. Denied 6. Denied 

### 7. Denied 8. (a) Denied 

### (b) Denied III. 1. (a) Denied (b) Denied 

### 2. Denied 

### 3. Denied Further, Respondent denies violating any ofthe Federal Aviation Regulations cited by the Administrator; Further, any matter not specifically admitted by Respondent shall be deemed denied. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES 1. Respondent contends that it has satisfied each and every one ofthe Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program ("VDRP") conditions and is entitled to immunity from a legal enforcement action. 2. As part of the VDRP, the FAA has agreed to issue a letter of correction in lieu of
a civil penalty action for covered instances of noncompliance that 

### are voluntarily disclosed to the FAA in accordance with Advisory Circular ("AC") 00-588 (April 29, 2009). AC 00-588 explains that the FAA ordinarily will not forgo legal enforcement action if a certificate holder informs the FAA of the apparent @002/00909/28/2012 09:55 FAX 2024935142 FAA + OMS @003/009



### violation during, or in anticipation of, an FAA investigation/inspection or in association with an accident or incident. 3. By rejecting a valid VDRP submission, the FAA is violating its own established guidelines to encourage certificate holders to voluntarily submit alleged safety information and invest further resources in VDRP submissions, thus its actions are arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion. 4. The sanction sought in the Administrator's Complaint is not in accordance with FAA precedent, nor its published guidance. 5. The regulations cited by the Administrator in the Complaint are unconstitutionally vague and therefore they deny the Respondent due process of law as guaranteed by the Constitution ofthe United States. 6. Respondent reserves the right to amend his answer and/or to add additional affirmative defenses as Administrator's claims are more fully disclosed in the course ofthis litigation. WHEREFORE, Respondent respectfully requests that the Administrator's Complaint be dismissed. Dated: September 

### 21,2012

David J. 

### A Hayes Ill Vice President and General Counsel Trans States Holdings, Inc. 

### 11495 Navaid Road Bridgeton, MO 

### 63044 (314) 222-4316- Telephone (314) 222-4311- Facsimile**dhayes@transstate.~.** 

### net Attorney for Trans States Airlines LLC09/28/2012 09:55 FAX 2024935142 FAA + OMS

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that I have this day served the foregoing document on the following parties at the address and method indicated below:
Federal Aviation Administration 

### BOO Independence Avenue, SW. Washington, DC 20591 Attention: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 Wilbur Wright Building, Room 2W1000
Mr. David Kessler, Esq. Federal Aviation Administration Central Region**ACE~?,** Room #506, DOT Building 901 Locust St. Kansas City, MO 64106-2641

Dated this 21st day of September, 2012. Original- FedEx

One (1) Copy- FedEx @004/00909/28/2012 09:55 FAX 2024935142 FAA + OMS 141005/009



# --- U.S. Department ofTransportation Fede"'l**Av~~** Admi111Jt ·**~** Otllc. O(Rflianal**~I** 90 1f..oQrn. Room :l'06 

### AU6 3

### ~ idll

-

### ~ -KAnwCity, MO 6'IOIS-l64J 

### RICHARD A.**LEACH~**

Area Code: 816-329-3763 C£RTIFIED MAU..- RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTBD Certified Mail Receipt Nos. 701111S0000003371134, 70111 1S00000337114t. 70lli1J0000003371158 Au8'Dt29,2012 · 

### (..t.;

## ~~

Atill; Hearing Docket Clerk.AGC-430 Wiloor WriptBuilding. Roaftl lWlQOO 

### Rc: In the Matterof

### Trans States Airlines, LLC C.Ue No. 2010CE030093 Enclosed berewitb JI}MSe find a copy ofa roquest for a bearing and the original and one copy ofthe Complaint in the above-refem!cc:d pl'OQeodiEtg. The FAA requests that tbe hearing ift this ID&fta"

### be held in St. Louis, Misi!IOuri, and expect9 that the hearing willlutone day. · Please address all communications for the FAA to David B. Keuler, Federal Aviation Administrarion, Central Resion, ACE-7, R.oom 506. DOT Building, 901 Locust, Kansas City, MO 64 t06-2641. Sincerely, A. Le&ttrHaizlip**~gional** Counsel By. 

### Olfgfnol

## Signed8y Davki 

## Kessler David B.**K~ssler** Attorney Enclos\RS
c.:: Richard A. Le&:b .,/ David I.A. Hayes 

### m, Bsq.09/28/2012 09:55 FAX 2024935142 FAA + OMS
t'



### U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATJON ADMINISTRATION
In the Matter of: Served: August 29. 2012 FAA DocbtNo. 

### FAA Case 

### No. 2010CE030093**_T..:..:nns....-.;.;S;..;;w=es....::.Air..:::;;'::..oh_.n~es** •.

.-L;.;;;L.:::C-.,....
___ ___. Judge Not 

### Assigned



### COMPLAINT The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), by caun.sel, hereby files its 

### Complaint, pursuant to 

### Rule 208 oftheRules ofPractice (14.C.F'.lt 13.208), and 

### states as follows: 

### I. 1. 

### On March 8, 2012, 

### Respondent Tnuu States Airlines, LLC 

### was advised through a Notice ofProposed Civil Penalty that the FAA proposed to assess a civil penaltyin the amount of'$44,000. On August 27, 2012, Respondent submitted a written

### reque.!t for a hearing. 

### II. l. At all times 

### hereinafter-mentioned:·

a. 

### Trans States 

### Airlines, LLC (TSA). 

### wuthe bolder ofPart 121 AirCarrier Certificate Number RAIA053Ai b. TSA was the operator 

### ofCivil 

### Alrcrilft NI42HK, an BMB-14S, 

### authorized for use by TSA in

### Part 121 revenue operations. 2. On 

### or about July 5, 

### 2010, the pilot ofN842HK.'s flight 

### 8084 entered amainterwlc:e 

### discrepancy into N842HK's Aircraft**Maintena~~.ce** 

### FlightLog nofulg ''tire 

### has two

### cuts on it." 3. The**di~epancy** noted 

### above reDdered 

### N842HK 

### unairworth.y. 4. An 

### aircraft with 

### an open maintenance 

### diSCRpancy, as noted in paragraph 

### 2 above, should be placed on a 

### ••MamWlancc Hold" and is ·prohibited from operating until receiving a ''corrective actioo." as stllted by TSA's: @008/009

# ______________

# ......... 09/28/2012 09:55 FiX 2024935142 

### FAA + DMS 

### Ill 007/009**~·.~·**.........· 1 f•

2
a. Genelill Operations Manual (GOM), Section 3-4.1; b, Dispatch Poli<.:ies and Procedwe Manual (DPPM), Section 3·12,S; and
c. General Maintcmance Manual (GMM), Volume 1, Chapter 3, Sections 1-3.1.6 and l-3.2.2. S. 

### The maintenance discrepancy·noted 

### ii1 paragraph 2 above remained open until July 6, 

### 2010, when it 

### received a G:orreotive 

### action signoff. 6. Between July5, 2010, and 

### July 6, 2012, tsAdispatc:hed lllld operated N842HK on 3 flights with the maintena.ncc discrepauey open. 7. Based on the foregoing, N842HK was not in·an airworthy condition during the opetations noted in paragraph 

### 6 above. 8. TSA's operations, as noted 

### inparagraphS above:
a. 

### Were contraryto 

### its GOM, DPPM. GMM; and 

### b, Constituted a careless acton the partofTSA, endangering the lives and property of 

### another. 

## m. 1. Byreason ofthe foregoing**f~** and circumstances, Respondent violated the following sections of

### the Federal Aviation Resulations:
a. Section 91.13(a), which states in relevant partthat no person may operate an 

### alrera£\ 

### in a careless manner so as 

### to eadangertbe life orproperty ofMother. b. Section I21.1S3(a)(2), 

### which states 

### inrelevant part that no certificate holdermay operate an aircraft unless that 

### aireraft ia in 8ll airworthy condition and meets·the appiieable 

### a:i:rwonhiness requirements.

# ________________

# ........ 09/28/2012 09:56 FAX 2024935142 FAA -t OMS**----;.~**

2. 

### Pursuant to Title 49 U.S.C. 46301, Respondent is subject to a eivil 

### penalty not to exceed $11.000 for each ofthe violations alleged. 

### 3. Under the facts and circumstances oftbis 

### case, a civil penalty of$44,000 is 

### appropriate. WHEREFORE, tbe Agency, 

## by coWJSel. 

### rupeetfully re<J_uests 

### tha.t the Administrative 

### Law Judge enter an 

### order thatRt3pondmt

### be· assessed a civil penaltyin the 

### amount of$44,000. Dated this 29"' day ofAugwt;2012.



### ADiwer Respectfully submitted, A. 

### Lester Hai%lip Regio Counsel By:

D d . essler 

### Attorney for Complainant Federal Aviation Administration 901 

### tocun, Room 506 

### Kansu City, MO 64106-2641 816-329-3763; Fax (816) 329·3771

Section 13.209(a) ofthe

### Rules ofPractice in FAA Civil PenaltyProceedings states, "A 

### respondent shall file a VtTitten answer to the complaint, or may file a 

### written motion pursuantto Section l3.208(d) or Sectionll.218(f)(l-4)

### instead of

### filing an answer, not later than 30 days after service ofthe complaint · Section 13.209(f) states, ''Apenon's failure to file an lnswtrwithout good cause shall be 

### deemed an admission ofthe

### truth ofeach allegation eon13ined in

### the Complaint
.. @008/009

/

3

# ____________

# .........**v~~~~/2012** 09:58 FAX 2024935142 FAA + OMS 141009/009

I '

..._.,, 

# ,. ,..-.r- '



### . 

## ·.

Tra.cs States Airlines, 

### LLC, FAA Case No. 2010CE030093**~RTIFICATE** 

### OF SERVICE I hereby**~rtify** that I ha"e this dste placed in theUnited States mail, eertified, return receiptrequested, a copy ofthe Administrator's Complaint, addressed to; 

### Mr. Richard A. Leach 

### Trans 

### States Airlines, LLC 11495 Navaid 

### Road, Suite 

### 303**St.Louis.~o** 

### 63044 :. 

### David J. A. 

### Hayes UI, Esq. 

### Tra:n:s Sta.tes Holdings, IDe. 11495 Nav-aid Road St. Louis, Mo 63044 . ·:

In addition, I hereby certifythat 

### 1havethis date placed in the United States tnail, 

### c.ertitied, return receipt requested, the original and one 

### copy, addressed to; Federal 

### A vi.ation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW. Washington. DC 20591 Attention: Hearing Doeke.tClerk, AGC-430 Wilbur Wright Building, Suite 2Wl

### 000

# IJ~~ 4

Paralegal**Spceiali~** ... . : • .**,.a.~.** •• ' 

### Da1ed this 29dt day of

### August. 2012.